heaven's bbs | text

[churchbelle]

Posted: 22 April 2016
From: Aengus

[Why does it have to be this shitty god name..... he'll privately resent that. Anyway.]

I'm doing myself a favor and doubling down on that spring cleaning business. Anybody who's got a use for any of this stuff, it's yours, free of charge. Courtesy of yours truly.

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There's more where all that came from. Come on down and I'll even wrap it for you.

[No he won't, but he'll happily give you free expensive stuff and/or free weird novelty items. Free him, his temple is full of this.]

And another thing, while I've got the floor, more or less: the markings that turn up on shinki, what's the meaning of that? Don't lecture me on the basics, my skull ain't that thick, but is there a particular reason they turn up in the places they do? Something to do with the name you give, maybe?

["why does my shinki have a weird hip tat, did I do that" and other stories]

Comments

[churchbelle]

[He frowns, briefly, at the mention of "that shinki"— he's still a mite uncomfortable with the boy being released unfettered like that, after seeing it all more than once now. But he doesn't need to talk about what's already passed, so-]

Oh, I didn't have one at the time. [He just went... Bible verses in hand. This was a safe decision.] But that's all settled neatly now, my partner's a fine man. Truth be told, I'm glad he missed all that excitement.

[young_oldman]

[Frankly, Lu Meng isn't quite fond of the idea either. It wouldn't be fair to lock the boy up...but there's no denying how slim a comfort it is that the boy's crown is all that separates the man from the monster.

His eyebrows raise up when he hears that Hazel charged into the fray without a shinki, but they settle down almost immediately. Hazel is a grown man; if he wants to go charging out without a shinki, then that's his choice. It'll be up to Hazel's exemplar to keep his or her master protected now.

But really, he can sort of understand why Hazel was comfortable to take the risk.] So all that power stemmed from your hand alone? You're quite like my lady, in that respect. [All Hazel probably needs is a shinki to provide passive effects.] Is Master Hazel also a priest?

[churchbelle]

[It sure would be troublesome if his new shinki were the type to start fights and encourage reckless behavior, huh. Hmm!

But anyway.] "Bishop" is the term, if ya wanna get specific, but it all boils down to the same thing all the way out here in the east. [Nobody cares about his western titles, including him...] I've dabbled in a fair bit of your everyday spirit exorcisms, too.

[young_oldman]

Then, if you have had experience with exorcisms...may I trouble you to ask a question pertaining to spiritual matters?

[He, err, may be asking the wrong person here, but it's not like he knows if Hazel's serious about his priesthood or not! Plus he's not really sure if Sanae is the right person to ask; her specialty had been more of smashing up youkai. Hopefully Hazel's religious walk didn't go down a similar route!

Ha. Ha ha. haaaaaaa]

[churchbelle]

[That sure would be an unfortunate coincidence! Hazel's eyebrows raise, curious.]

Alright, shoot. I'm all ears.

[young_oldman]

It is our duty as denizens of the Heavens to destroy ayakashi. They are unthinking monstrosities, seeking to only drag others to follow in their suffering, so I don't intend to dull my Borderline or allow any ayakashi I see run free.

But ayakashi can be born from human spirits. Shinki are also spirits, but fate simply decreed we would walk one path against the other.

I wonder if it is wrong to have pity for them.

[churchbelle]

[Ah, yes.

That's a moral conflict that's too much for him to deal with so soon. Maybe in due time, but it's not been very long, and he's already avoided struggling with this once...]

I wish I could tell ya, but I'm afraid I don't rightly know. It certainly does give ya a lot to think about.

[young_oldman]

Then...if it is not too much for me to ask, does it trouble you to slay ayakashi?

[Brooding on moral quandaries is unfortunately something Lu Meng does a bit too often. This second life isn't so straightforward, and he's got Sanae to think about too. He won't forget how vicious she had been to the ayakashi.]

[churchbelle]

[Must they do this... RIGHT now... Hazel frowns, thinking about it - which, by the way, he really doesn't want to do!]

It doesn't sit right with me— harmin' another human. But that depends on where ya draw the line, doesn't it?

[Do not ask him to draw the line. He cannot draw the line without 4 more moral quandaries.]

[young_oldman]

[It's not like Lu Meng is a mind-reader!!! All he knows is that he has a Man of God (tm) that he can address moral and philosophical quandaries to.]

What you say...is true. And that line would differ for each ayakashi and each shinki and god. Where is the human in the ayakashi, how much of it is left, and what is the definition of human to begin with.

It would be easier to not think of it at all...regardless, you have given me further food for thought.

[All deep and meaningful questions to divine living in Takamagahara. But Lu Meng will bug Hazel no longer. He's giving the god a bow.]

Thank you for your wisdom and the mug, Master Hazel. I've trespassed long enough on your time.

[churchbelle]

[Ah... yes, he sure does love thinking about this stuff. He's gladder than he should be for it to be over, so he can go back to not doing that. But he's got a polite smile for Lu Meng, anyway.]

Sure, sure. Take care of yourself and the young lady, y'hear?

[young_oldman]

My life is dedicated to Lady Kochiya. I will ensure not a single hair on her head is harmed.

I wish both you and your shinki well. [And with that declaration and one last bow, Lu Meng's off to give Sanae her new ugly mug. Hopefully she'll keep this one in her room and Lu Meng won't have to see it somewhere in the kitchen.]